Project: Chaos
by TaffyLover12
Summary: After Shadow uncovers a living weapon within one of Eggman's bases, he comes across Project: Chaos, who Shadow dubs "Sonic" after rescuing him from termination. However, there is more to Sonic than meets the eye and soon, Mobius is under dark siege by Eggman's forces. Not only that, but it seems Sonic has links to a mysterious pocket dimension known as Null Space...
1. Chapter 1

" _DELTA SQUADRON! OPEN FIRE!"_

The voice of Dr. Eggman broke the tense silence in the air as 3 stealth robots coated in black and red paint shot a wide radius of bullets and missiles at a fast moving shadow, each missing their target by a near margin. Dodging with ease was an onyx hedgehog, eyes and stripes the colour of freshly-drawn blood, a smirk on his muzzle that would de-arm even the most experienced warrior. He sped to the left and then to the right, fire emerging from the rocket soles of his specially-made rocket shoes, his logical and stoic mind mapping out every bullet's line of fire and dodging accordingly so the attacks did no damage to him. Not like it really mattered. Being the Ultimate Lifeform meant that bullet wounds, or any wounds for that matter, would heal in no time at all. He leapt up to the corridor ceiling and dived down into the robot's head with a spin attack, making it explode in a blazing fire, robotic wires and shards clattering to the metallic floor. The other two got destroying in a similar matter, though this time the hedgehog span into their chest power supplies and managed to go through both without problem, despite them being made of a thick and heavy metal. As he felt them explode behind him, he took that moment to reload his gun. He hadn't used it since storming the entrance, but he had a few free seconds to load his second most reliable weapon of more bullets to shoot dumb robots with.

" _YOU LOT ARE USELESS! STEALTH SQUAD, CRUSH THAT HEDGEHOG!"_

10 blue robots dashed through the walls at the Doctor's command, wielding batons and had at least double the firepower. It just showed how much the scientist let panic affect his actions. His behaviour did get a little erratic when he was on the losing side. Then again, he was…unstable at best. Smirking more than before, he rapidly shot rounds into the vulnerable power cores that were visible in the chest cavity. Stealth Squad's unit was a pile of scrap metal within 2 minutes. He scoffed. Was this really the best Dr. Eggman could do to kill him? It was pretty pathetic. Not only that, but blood trickled down his quill where a bullet had scraped him. He ignored it. It didn't hurt, and even if it did, he wouldn't let it distract him. For someone who ruled the entire planet, the good Doctor had pretty flimsy troops. He expected more of a challenge.

Well, most of the troops were a joke. He couldn't forget the Death Egg Sentinels, massive Egg Pawn-shaped giants that crushed entire cities underneath their feet. They were almost invulnerable. Then there was Eggman's commanders: a red Zeti called Zavok, a water creature called Chaos and a blue robot who seemingly was just called Metal. Heading the entire Eggman Army, apart from Eggman himself, was a mysterious, egomaniac and ultimately invulnerable masked being calling himself Infinite, who had only arrived 5 days ago out of completely nowhere. Yet, he felt familiar. He knew that voice. He knew that shape. Problem was…he couldn't remember from where. He wanted…no, needed…to find out. It was one thing that was bugging him. Infinite may have been strong but, despite conquering 99% of the world, 1% still belonged to the Resistance, the group he was associated with. He hated answering to a boss, let alone a brash echidna with little history of giving orders, but he was in charge and, when you're in a middle of a crisis, you kind of have to let old grudges go and to let bygones be bygones.

"Shadow? Answer me! What's your status?"

The voice took him by surprise. Groaning, Shadow reached for the transceiver hidden up his black and red cuff and clicked the side of it. The screen lit up a cyan.

"I'm _fine_ , Rouge. You don't need to call me every 10 minutes."

"You know you're _meant_ to report in every 10 minutes. That way, we know you're…"

"Did you really think the Doctor's forces could kill me that easily?" He snarled, taking the female aback. Rouge was his comrade, also part of the espionage group the Resistance had dubbed Team Dark. While part of the resistance, they mostly worked solo and rarely answered to the higher-ups. It was only those two on this particular mission though. Omega, a robot once created by Eggman but had rebelled years prior, was also part of the team but espionage wasn't his strong suit, as he had stayed back at the Resistance HQ. He was useful when it came to needing an infinite arsenal of missiles, bullets, lasers and other heavy fire.

"Regardless! If our informer's information is correct, there is a weapon hidden among the laboratories coming up on your left. It seems the good Doctor's working on some living weapon. That's the last thing we need, what with Infinite and all. Search thoroughly. Find it? Shoot it. Understand?"

"Rogar." He deactivated the transceiver and kicked the first laboratory door open. It was a computer lab with drab silver walls and several large wall computers with a blue desktop colour. No alarm went off nor was anyone manning the room. It was almost too quiet…almost like a trap was about to be set off any minute. He placed one foot in the room. Nothing. Two steps. Three. Nothing. Guard still up, he went to the computer and began copying the files to a hard drive he has hidden in his other glove. One file in particular caught his attention.

 **TERMINATION OF PROJECT: CHAOS**

"Project: Chaos…?" He murmured to himself, clicking the file open. The mere idea of a project both created a sense of urgency but also curiosity. It was a short report.

 _ **Living weapon – based on Project: Shadow blueprints. The Ultimate Weapon against the Resistance. Abilities will include super speed and Phantom Ruby infusion.**_

Shadow smirked. He'd found records of his target! He had to admit, that was easier done than said. He carried on reading, curiosity firmly piqued.

 _ **Height – 3' 3''**_

 _ **Weight – 77 lbs**_

 _ **Body Colour – Blue**_

 _ **Eye Colour – Green**_

 _ **Date of Capture – 12/3/3124**_ (Shadow noted that this was 6 months ago)

 _ **Date of Release – TBA**_

 _ **Wing – A**_

 _ **Room - 119**_

 _ **[Important Notes: following behaviour that has been reported must be ignored during examination – clawing, biting, harm to examiner or self, screaming, panic attacks, twitching of muscles, eyes or body, kicking and/or punching examiner or surroundings, All escapades must be ceased immediately. Only sedate if behaviour becomes deadly to examiner and/or self. He must also be sedated if he interferes with future tests.]**_

 _ **Sensitivity (01-10) – 09**_

 _ **Pain Threshold – Low**_

 _ **Chaos Emerald Usage - Success**_

 _ **Phantom Ruby Usage – Failed**_

 _ **Power Ring Usage – Success**_

 _ **UPDATE: 5 DAYS AGO: SUBJECT TO BE TERMINATED**_

 _ **PLANNED TERMINATION DATE: 23/9/3124**_ (that was today)

"…Rouge, I found something interesting." He reported, copying the project's files immediately and then pulled the pen drive out of the PC. The up side was that there would be no trace of him copying any of the files on the machine. Perfect.

"Oh, go on." Rouge sang, obviously now intrigued.

"Seems the Doctor was indeed planning on creating a living weapon, specifically a lifeform similar to myself: a new Ultimate Lifeform. I think this is that weapon you were talking about…but it's already been marked for termination." He looked closer to the test results as he waited for a reply. He had pulled it up again for a re-read.

"…I wonder why…? If they want to wipe us out with it, why kill it?" He didn't reply. He glanced at something that made his blood run cold.

 _ **'Date of Capture.'**_

That only meant one thing: the boy hadn't been created at all. Rather, he had been captured and experimented on for around 6 months. That sickened him straight down to his stomach. He knew Eggman to be evil through and through down to the very depths of his soul but this was beyond immoral. Despite the report saying the creature was modeled after his blueprints, all that meant was they had changed the boy immensely, probably through DNA manipulation, which was definitely illegal (then again, when did the tyrant ever follow rules?). Growling, he turned tail, pen drive still in hand, and wandered through endless corridors until he reached the wing and room detailed in the report. Wing A, Room 119. It was a plain silver steel door that Shadow managed to open with little effort by hacking into the access hatch. He dared not kick the door down. The room was dark and dusty, making him cough, and it looked like it hadn't been used in weeks. A musky smell hit his noise, making nausea rise in his stomach and a gag in his throat. A single tube full of cyan liquid glowed at the back of the room, giving the room the only light available as no light switched on. He figured the bulbs were broken. He then heard distant voices coming from the hallway and he ducked underneath a vacant table as they became ever clearer and louder. Two shapes came into the room with purpose. One of Eggman, dressed in his traditional red coat and black leggings (or trousers…whichever) and boots that seemed to merge together. He was overly overweight, what with his rounded belly and fat pink rose, not the mention the over-groomed ginger moustache that was just out of place alongside his flimsy long legs that contributed to his towering height. The other, much to his dismay, was Infinite. The jackal had black fur, much like himself, as well as a serious, if not sadistic, personality. He has white dreadlocks flowing down his back and wore a silver mask on his face, which hid his right eye and showed his left amber iris over. He wasn't sure if the jackal's red eyeball was real or if it was just a tinted visor. He wore black shoes and gloves and, infused with his chest, was a purple gemstone that gave him a glitchy red aura. The jackal was typing away at some computer masterfully, fingers moving like they were on a string. So, this joker was a computer expert as well as a master fighter. Interesting. The more you know.

"…Remind me why we are terminating him." Infinite then spoke. His tone echoed slightly and sent shivers down Shadow's spine. He feared Infinite "fear-sense", the ability to pick up on a person's fear, would give him away but he didn't seem to sense him. That was good.

"Because I have you. I don't need this rodent anymore. He couldn't wield the Ruby. YOU on the other hand can." He gestured to a pink gem shining on Infinite's chest, though the masked jackal remained silent. So Project: Chaos was meant to wield this…Ruby? Tails had mentioned it before. The Phantom Ruby. It said so also on the report he had found. Eggman suddenly raged and knocked a chair over all while Infinite observed him in respected silence, allowing the tyrant to have his angry moment. Thankfully, both villains didn't notice him, despite the flung chair clattering right next to him. He held his breath then. He wasn't taking chances. "Ugh, why do I bother talking to you!? You don't understand anything! Just get ready for his termination. Turn off all nutritional support and breathing apparatus. If he's not dead within 10 minutes, feel free to kill him on your own." Infinite nodded at this, seemingly letting the insult slide, switched off a few buttons at the console and left the room, trailing the scientist with his tail whipping from side to side with agitation. The tube's light turned off with a depressingly whir, leaving the room in pitch darkness. Shadow countered this by making his Inhibitor rings glow gold and went over to the tube's control panel. Password. Shit. He thought…what would Eggman use for a password? It was two words. Knowing the Doctor, it was going to be something stupid and obvious.

 **PROJECT CHAOS**

A message saying _ **"Access Denied"**_ came in a robotic female voice.

 **MARIA ROBOTNIK**

" _ **Access Denied".**_

 **GERALD ROBOTNIK**

" _ **Access Denied".**_

He thought. That gem was seemingly the key to his entire plot…he thought it was worth a shot.

 **PHANTOM RUBY**

" _ **Access Granted. Welcome, Lord Robotnik."**_

Phew. That was harder than he thought it would be. He could see the creature's life signs and god knows what else. It was all deflating fast. Biting his lip, he typed in a few algorithms and waited.

" _ **Deactivating Cryogenic Chamber in 5…4…3…2…1…Chamber Opening."**_

He heard the sound of the liquid draining before the tube opened. A cold mist filtered into the room as "Project: Chaos" came into view, suspended from wires infused with his arms, head, legs and chest, as well as a big wire emerging from his back. Like the report said, he had fur the colour of cut sapphires and, presumably, emerald eyes as well. He was bare footed but had ripped white gloves on his hands. His quills reached the middle of his back and hung limply. Shadow could see he was injured, dried blood on his fur from gashes to his chest area. He guessed the most recent tests had drawn blood. Tentatively, he pulled each wire out one by one and caught the creature as he yanked the one in his back out, with the removal drawing quite a bit of blood that dripped ominously down the creature's sapphire pelt. The hedgehog felt cold to the touch, fur dry. Shadow brought him down to the ground but noted to himself to be quick. He didn't know when Infinite would return. He dared to shake the hedgehog's shoulder, slightly fearful of what the creature was actually capable of, but no response came back. He tried a few more times, but got no further. He padded the boy's neck. The pulse he wanted was definitely there, so he hadn't already died from the termination attempt. He carefully picked him up and ran out of there. As he did so, an alarm went off. He gritted his teeth and performed a Sonic Boom, creating a red comet over hills and valleys until the base he was tasked of raiding was a dot on the horizon. He was safe now…he hoped. The sun was starting to set, cascading a fire amber glow over the Luminous Forest, or what was now known as Casino Forest. Bright lights danced in the trees, faint beats playing in the distance from a second base. They were dotted everywhere: in every town, city or wide open area. When Eggman wanted full control over the world, he didn't mess around. Shadow decided that the excursion back to the Resistance Base would wait until tomorrow. He wasn't even sure if this boy was safe. He half-wanted to kill him now, just in case the boy was indeed dangerous enough to have the title "Ultimate Weapon". He had promised Rouge, and the whole of the Resistance, that he would put an end to the plan but the whole "captured" deal made him regret feeling like that. The boy never wanted this to happen, but it had, and now the child was paying dearly for it, despite it being not his fault. They wouldn't be caught as long as robotic spies couldn't find them. He took the boy into a sheltered hollow and wrapped both of them up in a blanket of moss, hopefully to warm the boy up as he felt still ice cold. He also made sure any bleeding wounds clotted and wouldn't infect, which was mainly done by using water from a nearby river, which was thankfully not polluted. The sky looked grey above them despite the low light. He just hoped it wouldn't rain. That would be the worst. With no real option except to call it a day, he lay down in the undergrowth and fell asleep rather quickly.

XO

He had to admit, it wasn't the most restful of nights, but the sun was shining in the sky though he saw storm clouds in the distance. He didn't need sleep to function, but he did feel tired yesterday. He had woken up God knows how many times. The boy hadn't stirred once to his knowledge, which was starting to worry him. He tried shaking again. Nothing. He bit his lip. Why wasn't he waking up? He was definitely alive but unresponsive to anything around him.

"SHADOW!"

Shadow jumped. Shit, he forgot to tell Rouge what was happening.

"What!?"

There was a yelp from the other end.

"You're in big trouble mister! Any idea how worried everyone was!? I was worried my distraction hadn't worked!"

So Rouge had set the alarm off…he only rolled his eyes at her alarmed voice. She definitely over-reacted.

"Anyway, where are you?"

"Casino Forest. Don't worry, both me and Blue are fine."

"…Blue?"

"I think you can call him Project: Chaos."

"You haven't killed him yet!?"

"No, why would I? He's not dangerous…I think."

"Why I oughta…! Knuxie is gonna have your head, y'know! Don't bring him to HQ unless you know 100% that he's harmless!"

"Alright! Alright!" He swore at her attitude in his head.

 _That's me barred from HQ for god knows how long then…_

He glanced over at the blue hedgehog again. Something about his form struck a chord. He seemed hauntingly familiar.

The answer came to him. Metal!

They looked alike…so the robot was modeled after this boy's blueprints…interesting. He jumped when a feral whine came from the hedgehog. At last. Shadow kept his distance, one hand ready to grab his gun and shoot him if things got dicey. The boy slightly rolled over, shivering. A howl came from his throat as his eyes shot open with a wild fire. Green, like he predicted. They shone like cut emeralds. The feral behaviour made Shadow grab his gun and he aimed at the hedgehog's head, but he didn't fire. Not yet. The boy turned to look at Shadow. He had an intense expression, his eyes staring straight at Shadow's own. He made the gun click in warning but removing the safety. That seemed to scare the hedgehog as he realized what was going on. He scrambled back, whimpering, curling himself in a frightened ball, an ear-splitting scream coming from his throat. Shadow merely blinked blankly at this, surprise in his blood red eyes. So the boy knew what a gun was. Reluctantly, he tossed it aside and knelt, clicking his fingers to get the boy's attention. He looked at him warily. For seconds, perhaps minutes, there was a staring contest between the two.

"…I won't shoot you." He spoke. He got a dark look, a distrustful look. "I'm serious. I won't. Have you any name?"

The hedgehog's response was silence. Eventually, he faintly shook his head for a no. It was clear that whoever he was before he was captured had been erased. He remembered nothing of who he was before his capture, like his past persona hadn't ever existed. He barely reacted to his development. He just grunted and edged nearer.

"My name is Shadow."

"…Sha…sha…dow…?" The boy tried to repeat, his voice broken and raspy, like it hadn't been used for ages. Shadow cringed at the crackly voice. He could just about imagine what the boy was feeling: scared, intimidated, lost. He didn't know where he was, how he got here or why he was here. "…Wh…where…man?"

"…Man…?"

"Man in re…red…"

Shadow realized he meant Eggman. He probably associated "normality" with the scientist.

"No, he's not here. It's only me." He assured. "He won't hurt you anymore. I won't allow it." He crept closer but the boy whimpered in turn. Shadow guessed he was now scared of him. After all, he DID point a gun at him. Sighing, he stood and backed off, arms crossed. "If you don't want me to get close, I won't. We can't stay here though, they'll find us."

"T-They…?"

"Robots."

"..Ro…bots…? What they?"

So the boy spoke in broken English.

"They are scary creatures made from metal. They might hurt us." He eyed the hedgehog. "You coming?"

"…To where…?" Came a scared reply.

"Somewhere safe."

The boy thought, deciding whether to trust the black creature in front of him. He wasn't like the man in red, though he was just as scary. He looked like the thing in the mask…just without the mask. He tried standing but failed miserably. Shadow helped him to his feet but he looked scared. He guessed tests were done sitting down, so walking was either extremely difficult or the memories of how to do so was eradicated alongside the rest of his memories. Rolling his eyes, he picked the boy up again and dashed off, keeping one eye on him and one on the path ahead.

 _This kid is going to be the death of me…_

They eventually reached the City. Buildings had collapsed and fires blazed as far as the eye could see. Shadow came to an underground hatch and slammed his foot three times on the hatch in rapid succession to make it not sound like footsteps. He stepped back as the hatch opened. The boy watched the mechanism with silent awe. Shadow jumped inside and landed on a stack of pillows (they had had some broken bones from those unable to land on their feet). After a dark corridor, they came to a metallic door that slid open. Inside was a warmly-lit bunker fitted with high-quality computers and quite a few faces. The hedgehog burrowed his face in Shadow's chest fur, violently shaking. Rouge was among the faces and many of them narrowed their eyes at Shadow. He guessed she told them about the "detour". The majority of them pointed weapons at them and Shadow guarded the body by turning to the side.

"All of you, lay off!"

"Yeah, that's enough!" Amy, a pink hedgehog with matching emerald eyes and a red dress, agreed, forming a barrier between the two hedgehogs and the other Resistance members. A massive hammer formed in her hands. "Think about it? You're scaring the poor kid, so why don't all of you stop being bullies!? Any of you dare move and I'll knock your blocks off!" Her voice was serious but sharp. They backed down, all of them showing faces of regret. After all, the pink hedgehog WAS second-in-command. Amy defused and turned to Shadow. "Who is this?"

"I don't know. I think the Doctor erased his memories. Doesn't remember his name." He thought. The boy _needed_ a name. Everyone did. To not have a name equaled an identity crisis. He knew what that was like, though that little adventure was one he would rather forget. He went through the facts in the report in his head, trying to come up with a suitable name for a creature like the child. A specific sentence stood out in his memory.

 **Abilities will include super speed and Phantom Ruby infusion.**

"I've got it. How about Sonic, seeing as he's meant to have super speed?" He nudged the boy, who was still hiding his face. Shadow poked his cheek, making his look up at the elder hedgehog fearfully. "You like?"

"…Like…what?" He hadn't been paying attention. Figures. Shadow groaned mentally.

"The name. Sonic." His tone was sharp with irritation but that was overlooked as the child adopted a thinking expression.

"Sonic…" He repeated to himself. He nodded.

"Alright then, hiya Sonic!" Amy greeted. "My name is Amy. Amy-Rose."

"…" She got not reply. He just hid his face again.

"Something tells me he's afraid of you, Rose."

"…Oh…" She sighed, though she was feeling sorry for the poor thing. Someone then cleared their throat to break the sweet scene apart.

"Regardless, you were meant to check in last night, Shadow." Knuckles, a purple-eyed red echidna, who was heading the Resistance, snarled, arms crossed. "You weren't meant to pick up a kid."

"What was I supposed to do? Leave him to die? Even I have morals, Guardian." Knuckles spat but said nothing more. Shadow exited the main room and took Sonic to the bedroom chambers. There was always spare ones but he made sure that the two of them had adjoining rooms. He sat Sonic down. "You alright here?" He got a nod. He was swinging his legs happily. He looked 15 but acted 5. Shadow put it down to the trauma that had been inflicted over the course of those 6 months. As he went up to leave, he heard a familiar whine. He cringed at it.

"…Where you going?" Sonic asked, eyes wide in curiosity

"Knux will probably want me to talk to me about things. I'm in pretty hot water."

"…I see no water."

"It's just a metaphor." Sonic blinked in confusion. Shadow was right about one thing: he barely knew a thing. That would change though. As he turned to leave again, he heard the whine again, this time louder. Why was he suddenly getting…angry? After hearing the whine a third time, he snapped.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP!?" He raged, blowing Sonic back. His face paled. "I'M SICK OF YOUR CRYBABY ATTITUDE! I'M IN HOT WATER BECAUSE OF _YOU,_ Y'KNOW!" Before he knew what he was doing, he dashed off. It was only after he got back to the main control room that he realized his mistake. Rage gave way for guilt that crashed into his being like a tsunami's wave. "…W-What did I just do…?"

"Hey, Shadow." Knuckles called. "We need to have a talk."

Damn…the apology would have to wait. He slumped over to the echidna and endured a 15 minute lecture, with him barely able to get a word in edge-ways to argue. After it was finished, Rouge started on her own rant which lasted another 5 minutes. On the other side of the room, a shape on the computer gasped and looked at the arguing trio.

"Hey, you lot! Stop a second!" A golden fox called Tails called. He was picking up some energy waves. All three glared at each other and abandoned the domestic disturbance.

"Where is it coming from?" Knuckles asked in a direct manner.

"One second…" Tails tapped a few buttons and instead of the city map they were expecting, the map of the base came up. A black whirl of energy was emitting from the bedroom wing. Shadow squinted.

Room 14.

…He bit his lip. This was not good. That room was Sonic's. Everyone else guessed too.

"I told you! I told he was dangerous!" Rouge shouted as the base suddenly shook to its core. A cold feeling seeped into everyone's soul.

"No, he isn't…this is something else…" Shadow thought, dashing back to where he had left Sonic. Why had he yelled like that, after what he had gone through!? He mentally swore at his stupidity. His stand-offish attitude really liked to bite him in the butt now and again. As he came to the bedroom suite, the temperature dropped, making his fur naturally stand on end. What was this chill? The door to Sonic's "room" was bolted and he could feel a sharp wind whipping up inside the room alongside despair-filling cries. He could tell by the way the fur around his legs was being brushed by a cold and wild gale. So Sonic gained new abilities depending on his emotions? That was bad. Shadow fiddled with the door frantically but he couldn't get it open. The velocity of the wind blocked it. With no other choice, he kicked it off its hinges, only to get battered and blinded by wind and black electricity. It was like being pelted with miniature bullets. He could faintly see Sonic's form curled up in a tight ball on the bed, the powers emerging from his body which glowed an evil shade of navy. He was howling, with each cry making the tornado surrounding him swirl ever faster. The metal on the walls began straining. The whole room...no, the whole bunker...was going to be ripped apart if he didn't do something. He tried shouting but the wind muted his voice. He tried again, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"SONIC!"

Sonic's eyes shifted and glared at Shadow with intense hatred, tears streaming down his face. He had gotten the boy's attention at least. He couldn't shout again so he spoke normally, hoping Sonic could lip read.

"…I'm sorry."

The wind dropped as Sonic's angry expression got lost under a torrent of guilty tears. With the lesser wind, Shadow could advance. He cradled the boy in his arms, shushing him.

"…I'm really sorry, kiddo…I shouldn't have shouted at you like that. I never meant to do that…" He kept repeating these messages into Sonic's pointy ears. The wind dropped more and more until it dissipated completely and the maleficent navy glow around Sonic's body vanished. At that moment, Shadow sensed the others in the doorway. He once again shielded him, especially when Knuckles snatched a red arm cannon of sorts from a red wolf, Gadget, and pointed it at both of them, his fangs bared. Amy, in desperation, tried to pull it away from his grasp but he knocked her away with a punch from his free fist. She got caught by Blaze, a lilac cat known for her fire powers.

"Knuckles, there is no need for this!" She exclaimed.

"Zip it, you." The echidna replied, his voice low with a snarl evident in his gruff tone. "That boy is a danger to us all! He could have destroyed our haven and expose us to the Eggman Empire's forces."

"He got mad, alright? He had every right to be, especially after the way I yelled at him! We didn't know about his powers and I doubt he knows either. It was an accident." Shadow argued but Knuckles' expression barely changed. In fact, he began charging the device, which was known as a Wispon. The fire variety.

"Accidents can easily end lives, Shadow. It is my duty to protect Mobius, as Commander of the Resistance. If you're not going to move, then I'll just have to kill you both."

"Knux, that's going way too far!" Silver, an albino-furred hedgehog, raged. "We need Shadow! He's the best guy we have on the team!" Shadow felt sick. Why did Silver have to be so...so...sickly sweet? Made him want to puke.

"Pity then. His selfishness will doom us all. It's a shame that this has to be done…but this _monster_ needs to be eradicated!" He shot a fireball at the duo. Shadow shielded Sonic with his body, preparing for the burning agony of the attack but it didn't come. Looking up, a black ring of something that could be called magic had stopped the attack and had surrounded both him and Sonic like a barrier. Not only that, but it suddenly sent the attack back, hitting Knuckles straight in the chest before he could comprehend what was happening, knocking him into the opposite wall, rendering him unconscious. Gadget snatched back his Wispon. Everyone glanced at the two in wonder. Shadow was also confused. How did that happen!? He looked at Sonic. He was in a ball, whimpering. He was unhurt, thank God. What's more, Shadow noticed a black orb glowing on Sonic's chest which dissipated before he could get a proper look at it. At the same time, the ring around them faded away. For about 30 seconds, there was a tense but strange silence.

"…That was awesome!" Came an excitable chirp from Charmy, a young hyperactive bee. He did a loop-de-loop and fist bumped the sky. Of course he was going to be the one to break the tense atmosphere. "He tots deserved that!"

"Alright, Charmy. That's enough." A fuchsia chameleon called Espio sternly but playfully said, making Charmy deflate. He whined and crossed his arms in a mood.

"Right…what are we going to do with him?" Amy asked the group, turning to face the knocked out Knuckles. With him like this, she was seen as the one in charge.

"Lock him up." Blaze nodded. "We can't have a commander like him. He's losing the plot big time."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Amy gave her consent to the plan. As Espio and a green crocodile called Vector hauled the red echidna to the solitary confinement cells in the deepest levels of the bunker, Sonic finally realized the danger was over. As he looked up meekly, he saw a good dozen pair of eyes on him in both curiosity and confusion.

"…W-What…?" He asked, hiding his face in fear. Shadow smiled and patted his shoulder.

"You can reflect attacks, can't you?" He kindly asked. Sonic blinked. Was this the same guy who had rescued him or was it a copy? He was talking in a totally different manner than before. He sat up and clicked his tongue. Eventually, but with twitching eyes, he began murmuring.

"M-Man t-taught me…if me get attacked…me send attack back." His voice was quiet but everyone heard.

"So that explains why the Wispon's fireball got reflected…" Gadget understood, smiling. He sat next to Sonic and gestured for a fist bump, but Sonic didn't get it. Gadget gently took his hand, curled his gloved fingers into a fist and hit it with his own. "Heh, fist bump."

"…Fist…bump…?" He repeated, taking in the action and grinning innocently, liking the idea. He then looked around and saw the dent in the wall. He glanced up at Shadow. "Where bad red guy?"

"Locked up. He won't try and hurt you again. Not under my watch." Shadow swore, ruffling the kid's head. As much as he still hasn't 100% sure who or what this kid was, he knew he needed guidance.

And there was no better place than a kind, loving group of friends, friends that could easily become a family to Sonic.

XO

"You are aware the Resistance have Project: Chaos, sir."

"I KNOW, YOU BAG OF BOLTS!" Eggman raged, kicking his robotic assistant Orbot in the head. He rolled onto a lower level, surprisingly unharmed.

"Is that your second or third kick of the day?" A yellow robot called Cubot asked. Orbot narrowed his eyes.

"Say one more word on it and I'll ensure you're next." He warned, pushing himself back to a "standing" position. Eggman growled. So the Resistance had his most valuable test subject…so what if he was going to terminate it? He was still valuable…even if his research hadn't gotten anywhere further than it did when he was captured 6 months previously. The door opened behind him.

"You wanted to see me?" It was Infinite, a stone expression present. Eggman leaned against the main console of the control room, an exasperated look on his face.

"Anything?"

"Negative, Doctor. I scoured all of Mobius. I never did find that black hedgehog nor our little Chaos Project. Not like it mattered anyway."

"I need him back here ASAP!" He turned to the computer and brought up a 3D diagram showed a spatial map of a dark purple vortex. "…Only then will we learn more about Null Space…he knows something and it relates closely to his otherworldly powers, including the Third Eye."

"Oh yes, the fabled Third Eye: the ability to see past, present and every possible future all at once. Very surprisingly to have a creature such as himself being able to wield that power without going crazy."

"Hmph. Pessimistic as always, Infinite. Do you ever show any interest in anything over than things that can change the world as we know it?"

"…You do know I can throw that question straight back at you. World conquest is the only thing mattering to you. I desire more than that." A red cube formed in his palm. "Null Space…its secrets are the key to finding the true anchor of the universe: the Onyx Scepter. Only with that artifact will both dimensions merge again..."

"What was that?" Eggman hissed, having only heard the jackal mumble under his breath. Infinite erased the cube from existence and began walking out.

"Nothing, Doctor. I'm going to go and keep some rabble in line…" As he went through the half-open lab door, he stared at the Doctor with such an intense stare that a violent shiver went up the human's spine. "…and to find a worthy opponent. I'm starting to grow bored with the rodents that roam this pathetic planet." The lab door slammed close with a shuddering bang. Eggman's tense body drooped as he sighed, weakly face-palming.

"…I'll never understand what goes through that mind of his…"

XO

Back outside, Infinite stared over the City. Something told him the base was within the city's walls…but where?

"Shadow…" He murmured, growling to himself. "…One day, we shall meet again…and I will get my revenge for my humiliation." He looked at a scar across his abdomen that was barely hidden by his thick black jackal fur. He removed his mask. The midday sun beat down on his fur, a soft wind brushing his pelt. He glanced down and saw a puddle of water that showed his perfect reflection, showing the blue-eyed scarred iris that was hidden and the mouth he denied the viewing off, meaning his emotions were often a mystery. In disgust, he stomped his foot into it, making ripples distort the image. He swiftly snapped the mask back on, unwanting to look at his face any longer. He wore it for a reason. He loathed himself. All because of that black rodent. "…You will pay for what you did…just you wait…"


	2. Chapter 2

He woke with a start, a choked gasp escaping his dry mouth.

Fearful sweat dripped down his forehead. He saw nothing. Darkness was all he could see, his entire body seeping with a cold trepidation despite him being really warm. He couldn't move. He was lying on his back, his limbs frozen in place, his breathing laboured and fast. He felt something brush against his neck, like ghostly fingers were stroking the skin. Was someone there? What was going on here? Not knowing only made him panic more. He saw a glowing eye, an amber iris piercing the darkness like a flame. His fear heightened when the ghostly hand seemed to latch around his throat, forcing the life out of him as a choking sensation burned his neck and lungs.

Then it came. The ear-splitting scream. It emerged from his broken throat like a strangled cat. What was this thing!? What was it…trying to do to him!? He shut his eyes before letting out a second scream. He heard loud thumps on the bunker's metallic floor before he heard the bedroom door fling open. He was suddenly met by the blinding light of the bedroom lamp that made a dull pain enter his forehead. He felt a warm sensation on his arm. More fingers. He screamed a third time, fearing it to be whatever was trying to hurt him before, only to find warm arms around his slender body alongside the sound of someone shushing him. He managed to keep his eyes open. He had kept them closed because he felt threatened, not the mention the room was incredibly bright. As he blinked, the shape over him became clearer and much more familiar. Shadow. The Ultimate Lifeform was over him, worry written over his face. Why was the child screaming like that? At first, he thought maybe it was a nightmare, until he saw Sonic reach for his throat. After feeling around his neck, some of Sonic's blind panic subsided. No pain, no damage done. His breathing was still incredibly fast, but that was just the aftermath of his earlier panic. He also saw Cream, a beige and brown furred rabbit with chocolate-coloured eyes, behind Shadow, watching his behaviour in confusion. Being trained with medical knowledge despite her age meant her examinational glances was as if she was trying to figure out what might have happened. Sonic suddenly latched his arms around Shadow's torso, breaking down in terrified tears and refused to look in Cream's direction. Shadow glanced quickly at the young rabbit, not sure if it was her look that set him off or just the experience itself. If it was the former, he guessed it was because he loathed the way he was being seen. As a patient…or, maybe in his mind, a test subject. Shadow wasn't comfortable with the child around his stomach but, for the sake of keeping Sonic calm, he let that fact slide and ran his fingers through Sonic's quills. He was surprised at how soft Sonic's azure fur was compared to his. He then looked at Cream hard.

"Any ideas, kiddo?"

"…I have one." Cream's usual sweet and friendly tone was replaced with a serious voice, which was extremely unlike her. Seeing as she was around 7 or 8, she was one of the three youngest Resistance members. Charmy was younger at 6 and Tails was next at around 10.

"Well?" Shadow pressed when the next few seconds passed with no answer. Cream took a few seconds to organise her thoughts before speaking.

"…I think Mr. Sonic had an episode of sleep paralysis."

Sonic looked at Cream hard. That word. Paralysis. It shot through him, making his entire body shiver. He had quickly learnt to take words at face value and knew when words indicated bad things that he was unable to understand. They would make his body shiver and a creeping dread filled his blood. He could call it a danger sense. He had been in the bunker for around a week and a half now, but there were still so much about the world that his brain failed to comprehend.

"W-What…that?" He still talked in broken English, but he knew a lot more words than he did when Shadow had brought him in. That felt so long ago now. Shadow knew what sleep paralysis was, but explaining it to Sonic in a way where he didn't freak out wasn't a simple task: the boy freaked out at the smallest thing. It was one of many reasons why, out of all the lessons each Resistance member was teaching him like teaching him what was going on (Tails), recognising his enemies (Amy), relaxation and self-control to avoid his "powers" going haywire again (Blaze and Silver), agility and stealth (Espio), how to live life normally and to have fun (Charmy, though these usually resulted in a telling off), testing how strong his reflection powers were (Omega), social skills and language therapy (Cream), speed training (himself), weapon usage (Gadget and his friends Fuchsia and Ace) and basic self-defence (Vector), he had put Rouge in charge of helping Sonic's confidence and courage grow. It surprised him on how slow that was progressing. Eventually, he managed to think of a way that explained the phenomenon in a kid-friendly way.

"What Cream means, Sonic, is that it's when…" OK, now this was the crucial bit. "…sometimes, when you wake up, you have a bad dream while awake."

"Bad dream…when awake?"

"That's right. Your brain…" He gently tapped the boy's head. "…thinks you're still asleep, so that is why you can't move during one. I think the fingers was your mind playing tricks on you."

"Trick?" Sonic looked up at his head and scowled. "Bad brain…you trick me."

"It's nothing to worry about. They're rare, so I don't think one will happen again. You understand?" Sonic confidently nodded.

"All in head." He proclaimed. "All gone now!"

"I see your language lessons are working wonderfully." Shadow sarcastically mocked, with Cream nervously giggling.

"…I'm doing my best, Mr. Shadow. At least Mr. Sonic knows a lot more words now. He still mixes up tenses and pronouns though…"

"I suppose you're right, you're doing your best. Alright, kiddo, let's get you back to bed." He tucked the sheets around the blue hedgehog. "Want the light on or off?"

"On."

"OK, I'll leave it on. You can turn it off you it gets too bright for you." He ruffled Sonic's fur before leaving the room with Cream. As he closed the fixed door, as the members had to spend 5 days rebuilding it after he destroyed it (not his proudest moment), he and Cream went their separate ways. As Shadow lay on his bed, he could hear muttering from next door. The child was obviously playing some game out aloud. He began chuckling to himself, only to stop when a thought came to mind.

 _Wait. Am I…getting attached to this kid or something?_

The thought made him growl. After what had happened in his past, he had vowed to never get so close to someone again. This child though, just his mere presence made his usual grumpy personality melt away. He hated that. He was the Ultimate Lifeform for Christ's sake. He was meant to be unpredictable. A weapon. A creature bound by firm rules: kill or be killed.

 _Sonic's an Ultimate Lifeform too though. He's like me._

That was true. Sonic had abilities similar to Shadow's: quick healing, an acute Chaos Sense, ability to use Chaos Control and, most importantly, DNA tests indeed showed he had similar DNA to himself, so it was true that he had been "made" into a likeness close to himself, though the idea that Eggman had changed an innocent boy into…into something as unusual as him…it both intrigued and disgusted him. Sighing, he closed his eyes. He didn't need to sleep, but he definitely felt weary. He blamed the long day he had had training Sonic. The boy was incredibly fast on his feet, just like the project report had stated, but he wasn't very skilled at controlling it. He now had endless cuts and scrapes littering his lower legs. Not only that, but it was actually difficult keeping up with him. The boy definitely gave him a run for his money. He was the Fastest Thing Alive, but it seemed Sonic might even be faster than him. He eventually drifted off, ignoring the chatter that was still quietly echoing through the bunker walls.

XO

Down in solitary confinement, saying Knuckles was angry was an understatement. The cell was big enough to wander around him and the only time he saw his ex-friends, as he had disowned them the moment he had woken up in the cell and been told of the new imposing rules on him, was when they came down with food or war updates, and every single one of them spoke with a hateful tone. Especially Shadow. His voice was like venom.

It was all HIS fault. That blue hedgehog. Sonic. Just his name made him sick.

"Still sulking?" Came a voice in the darkness as Knuckles saw a shape emerge from the shadows.

"I was wondering where you were. Anything?"

"I'm doing my best, hon, but it's not easy with cameras everywhere. Believe me, I'm doing my best to terrorize him." Knuckles growled and punched the steel bars running down in front of him. They were unbreakable and he was sure he felt a bone in his hand crunch from the impact. He shook it. He'd be fine.

"That's not good enough. This is taking too long." He thought. He needed a killer idea. One so good that he'd be able to get rid of that blue hedgehog as soon as possible. He beckoned the shape closer and whispered his epiphany in their ear. Cyan eyes widened in shock.

"Y-You're not serious, are you!? They'll…! I mean, his forces will…!"

"I know. Perfect way to get rid of him. Just don't let them trace it back to me, alright?" He saw the shadow reluctantly nod, cyan eyes shining with uncertainty.

"You got it."

XO

"You look like you're in a fine mood."

Shadow side-looked at Gadget. He had been in the control room with the others, checking their sub-wave network for any Eggman transmissions (well, they were. He was leaning against the back wall, just watching them). That is how they were going to beat him: stop his plans before Eggman got chance to execute them. Shadow didn't like the rookie much. He tried too hard to be a hero: tried to be brave when everyone was perfectly aware of how cowardly the kid was. Then again, it had diminished over time, but it was still subtly there in the red wolf's personality.

"What do you want, kid?" He hissed, snapping his head away. Gadget leant against the wall as well, eying the onyx Ultimate Lifeform with a playful expression. He had a smug grin on his muzzle.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." He got a scowl. "Do you know where Sonic is?"

"With Rouge. Why? What is it to you?"

"…You sure he's with Rouge?" Gadget questioned, confusion clearly labelled in his vibrant topaz irises. If there was one thing no-one dared do, it was question him…and this…this… _rookie_ …had just crossed the sacred line.

"Are you questioning me, Rookie?" He snarled.

"N-No! I-It's just…I saw her wandering around a few minutes ago."

Shadow blinked at Gadget. This wasn't right…unless the child had run off to explore the base yet again. He did that when he got restless. Groaning, he went off, only to see Rouge ducking in and out of rooms, eyes full of question.

"Oh, Shadow! Just the person!"

"Rookie told me. Where's Sonic?"

"…I…I was going to ask you the same thing. Didn't turn up for our little lesson, so I thought the poor lamb had skedaddled and had gone off on one of his little excursions again. You haven't seen him, have you hon?"

"No. I'm not his babysitter."

"…Well, he can't have gone far."

"We'll check the cameras. He's probably hiding somewhere, playing a merry game of hide and seek with us. God, he's such a child."

"It's not his fault though, hon. He doesn't know any better."

Shadow felt himself feel guilty again. Was he being _that_ selfish with his snide comments? Curse his attitude! With all he knew, Sonic could have gotten himself into bad trouble and here he was, making nasty comments about someone who might need his help! Rouge was right of course though. Sonic acted too young for how he was built. A 15-year-old acting like a spoilt preteen, but the trauma and the horrific experiences he had had to endure was the reason behind the delay in development…or, rather, the rewind in development. He trooped with Rouge back into HQ and began checking the cameras. He re-winded minutes and hours. Then, at precisely 11:45am, 3 whole hours ago, Camera 10 finally picked up a shape near the bunker entrance. The shape had climbed the stack of pillows, with little skill, but had reached the latch, had forced it open and had slithered out. It had been left half-open. Shadow felt every muscle tense as he rewound the footage and zoomed in.

Blue fur. Green eyes. It was definitely Sonic. He was crying, looking around frantically. At one point, he looked directly at the camera and had stared at it in wonder before continuing his escapade.

"…That's not possible. That latch should have been bolted."

Rouge had a point. Who was in charge of bolting the latch last night again?

Rouge herself.

"You say that…but YOU should have bolted the latch." He snarled, head twisting to look at her with a fierce expression. Rouge froze and gulped, cyan eyes tiny with shock. "You forgot, didn't you?" A meek nod. "But now look at this mess! He's out there with no means of self-defence in a fucking battleground, Rouge! How careless can you get!?"

It was like a switch had been clicked. Rouge's usual flirty but well-meaning look turned malicious as she smirked and crossed her arms.

"And why would I even care?"

Shadow looked at the bat hard. What had gotten into her?

"…What?"

"I said, why would care about that little tearaway? Let him die for all I care. He's useless to all of us anyway."

"…You're in league with Knuckles, aren't you!?"

When he said that, the whole room was alerted. Before, conversation had blotted out their words but Shadow's loud voice had interrupted the buzz in the control room. Rouge's smirk grew.

"So what if I am?"

"The child is in danger, Rouge! How can you let this happen!?"

"Oh, come now. All I did was give him a little…incentive."

"What incentive?" Shadow's voice was slow and low with rage. Rouge's smirk turned downright evil.

"If he didn't leave…I would personally end his suffering. I've been terrorizing him since we began working together, hon. He doesn't belong here, we all know that!"

Shadow would have argued further but no more words came out his mouth. The woman standing in front of him wasn't the Rouge he had always known, not the Rouge who would taunt with him, flirt with him, work with him…not the sassy agent he had forever known. She had been replaced by this cruel and cold replica, eyes full of malice, smirk evil enough to rival that of Eggman…OK, that was a bit of a stretch. Without another word, he threw a punch, but Rouge dodged and screw-kicked him in the chest. Silver and Espio held her back, with her mouthing cuss word after cuss word while Gadget helped Shadow to his feet. The kick had left him winded and he felt he was going to be sick. The two males restraining Rouge escorted her down to solitary confinement while Amy, face white, was activating cameras scattered all over the globe. All 3 monitors were needed. They had at least a few hundred cameras over the globe. Amy kept flicking from city to city, zone to zone, country to country, just in case Sonic's runner extended past Northamer. Nothing came up.

"The kid could be anywhere." Ace groaned, tapping his fingers on his arm as he watched empty cameras flick up and off screen. Eventually, Amy stopped and brought one camera into view. They saw a fast blue blur blast by. A second he was there, a second he was gone.

"Last seen sighting…City Centre, 12 minutes ago."

"Good. He's still in the provinces of the city. We'll need to split up. Gadget, Ace and Fuchsia, you form one team. Chaotix, you another. Omega and Silver, with me. Tails, Blaze and Amy, you form team 4. Cream, you stay here. I know you're not the best with tech, but we need you manning cameras. See a blur? Contact us, got it?"

"You got it, Mr. Shadow!" A blue chao next to Cream, who she lovingly dubbed Cheese, smiled as all four search teams filed out of the base and split into northern, southern, eastern and western teams.

The sooner they find Sonic, the better.

XO

Pain was arching from his hip from his right leg and eventually, he had to cease running, leaning against a destroyed building as he struggled to breathe. He hadn't run like that since…

…since…

He guessed it must have been when he was the hedgehog before. Whatever his name was. Whatever he was like. Sometimes, he could almost feel that past soul: so normal and full of zest. Smart, confident, cocky, energetic. That sort of energy flowed through him from time to time despite his memories of his past still being mostly blank. His chest badly ached as he softly gasped. His breathing was deep and rapid, which fuelled his panic. Why had he run off like that?

What was he? Stupid?

" _You don't belong here, Blue."_

He cringed as his brain forced him to listen to that white bat's menacing tone all over again.

" _No-one wants you here. You're useless."_

Maybe he was. What use was he in fighting? In supporting a cause to defeat that man in red. What was his name? Mr Egg or something?

" _You're a burden to everyone."_

He had wasted everyone's time. He remembered the shaking of heads, the tutting of tongues, the wary looks, the cold glares, the loveless attitudes. He didn't belong there, short and simple.

" _Leave…and don't come back. If I see you again, I'll kill you."_

He didn't know what this emotion was, but it felt crushing. Broken and numb tears trickled down his cheeks, splashing onto the dirt beneath his feet. What was…this feeling? The desire to die? The want to disappear? A harsh shiver went down his spine. He felt like a knife had gone through his heart. His legs crumpled as he slumped onto the ground, every breath a challenge. His eyes caught something. A figure watching him. He looked like him, only metal. Red glitchy eyes watched him both silently and emotionlessly, examining him. Eventually, the machine hovered down to the ground, its clawed hands outstretched. What was it doing? He eventually realized the robot wanted to help him up to his feet. He tentatively took the hand and the robot effortlessly pulled him back up to a standing position. A red light flowed up and down him then like a scanner.

"Scanning Lifeform…" The machine buzzed, its voice deep and robotic. "Project: Chaos detected."

Sonic knew that name. The man in red referred him to that. So this metallic copy of him knew who he was?

"…You know me?"

"Affirmative." Came the reply. "Master wishes to see you."

Master? Did he mean the man in red?

"…Man in red?" The robot made a deep buzzing noise.

"Negative."

"That's enough, Metal." Came another voice behind the robot. Behind him was a dark-furred jackal in a metallic mask: Infinite. "Go back to your station. I shall handle this."

"Affirmative." Metal flew off using the rockets in its shoes. Infinite eyed the child carefully. His usual calm and serious manner was replaced by unusual concern when Sonic cowered at the sight of him. The mask made the being seem like some demon. Infinite considered his options. The child was precious. Yet, to see him in this sort of emotional state, he was surprised his powers hadn't kicked in. Sighing, he removed his mask.

"Does this make me less scary?" He asked. Sonic slowly nodded. Infinite was surprised at this. His face was so unsightly, so…so worthless…and yet the boy wasn't the least bit turned off. He gently approached the blue hedgehog. "What are you doing out here alone, child?"

"…No home."

"I thought Shadow saved you." Infinite recalled. "Don't tell me they chucked you out." He got a slow nod as a broken wail emerged from the hedgehog's throat, making Infinite cringe. The sound seriously unnerved him. A few seconds passed as Infinite mentally thought of a plan. He could just take Sonic back to Eggman, but he doubted they would get anywhere, seeing as the secrets of Null Space were otherwise still guarded. He could try at least. Maybe the naïve child would relent the secrets? "I'll make you a deal."

"…Deal?"

"A choice, then, if that makes more sense. If you tell me what you know on Null Space, I'll take you somewhere happy and safe."

Sonic's normal innocent look dissipated instantly, being replaced by an extremely dark glare, one that instantly interested Infinite. A single snarled word came as a reply.

" **No."**

Infinite laughed.

"Well, so you do have a bit of fight in you. Why not? Why can't you tell me?"

" **Secret."** Sonic's palms glowed black and Infinite knew he had just triggered his Third Eye.

That was bad news.

A black ring of energy formed at Sonic's feet as the wind picked up. A tornado spouted from the ground, its velocity almost blowing the jackal off his feet, though he daren't hover, as the wind wouldn't hesitate to rip him apart. The ground trembled. Almost as if his child persona had dropped, Sonic's next words were spoken in perfect English and spoken in a dark tone that rivaled that of Infinite himself. **"Face the wrath of the Guardian of Null Space, fool."**

Infinite didn't know how to react. Most of him wanted to knock some sense into this "Guardian". So that is why he didn't give up the secret. He had shown signs of knowing the secrets of the pocket dimension but this…he really was one. He really was a Hybrid Child. However, somewhere in his brain, a sub-conscious was freezing his feet to the ground. He was unable to move, let alone speak. He tried to, but no words came out of his mouth.

On the other side of the city, Shadow, Silver and Omega, alongside all the other teams, had also spotted the massive tornado whirling on the horizon.

"What IS that!?" Silver trembled. Omega buzzed then.

"Detecting unknown energy source. Power level…" There was crackling. "Error. Power overload."

Shadow gritted his teeth. He knew exactly what that power was.

"Sonic."

Silver and Omega looked at him.

"…Are you seriously saying a kid like him has that amount of power?" Silver gaped, not convinced. He tapped his receiver. "Cream, can you direct cameras to that tornado and get some recon?"

"Give me a few minutes then, Mr. Silver!" Came a chirpy reply. "OK! Rerouting cameras now."

"Still sounds strange to hear a 7 year old kid say that." Silver mouthed, getting a shrug.

"Oh, hey you guys!" Fuchsia, Ace and Gadget had appeared behind their team-mates alongside the rest of the Resistance.

"OK. Getting info now." Cream reported, switching between several cameras. Thanks to the high winds, the pictures were a bit fuzzy but she recognised one of the figures she was seeing. "It's that mask guy!"

"Infinite? What is HE doing there?" Shadow growled. Amy smacked her lips.

"And Sonic?"

"Hang on…" She tried twisting the camera. "Yeah, I see Mr. Sonic too!"

"I swear if that bastard has done anything…!"

"Chill, stripes." Ace scoffed. "There are 12 of us and 1 of him. I think he's a little outnumbered."

"Ace is right. We have numbers on our side!" Vector cracked his knuckles. "Besides, I fancy on punching that idiot straight into next week!"

"Alright, let's go but remember to keep a low profile." Blaze directed, getting 11 nods in return. As the gang carefully approached the scene, the tornado by this point was massive, about the size of a mountain. Not only that, it was created a LOT of damage. Shadow could see Infinite hiding behind a rock for cover, growling to himself.

"Hope _you're_ proud of yourself. What have you done with Sonic!?" Shadow growled, getting up in the jackal's face. While unnerved to see his tormentor once again right in front of him, he had larger problems than the Ultimate Lifeform at the moment. Yet, the name was unfamiliar.

"Who?"

"I think you know him as Project: Chaos?"

"Oh, that little blue hedgehog child." Now clarified, Infinite stood, only to get battered by the high wind that almost muted his voice. "I didn't cause this, by the way. I only asked one simple question."

"And that is?"

"I wanted to know what Null Space was."

Tails' ears perked at this.

"Null Space? As in…the mysterious twilight realm? The pocket dimension submerged in perpetual night?"

"Someone has done their homework. Whattya want, kid? A medal?"

"Stop with the sarcasm. Is he right or not?" Espio asked, pulling out a throwing star. Infinite rolled his eyes.

"Yes, but that is about all most people know. However, HE knows more than he lets on. He's a Hybrid Child or a Guardian of Null Space. Probably the last one alive."

"…Why does that matter? You were the ones who erased his memories!"

"Not the ones on Null Space. That is why the Doctor kidnapped him in the first place, but the child was extremely stubborn, so he had to… _improvise_."

"So he changed the boy's DNA and made him a living weapon…but he still didn't give up the information so you tried to terminate him." Shadow deducted. Infinite chuckled.

"Give this rodent a prize."

"You're sick."

"You're cruel."

"Whatever, you one-eyed scum!"

"So what, you red-striped fool!?"

"Um…guys…?" Tails asked. "I know we're enemies and all…but I think we have a common problem." He gestured to the still-blowing tornado that had only grown twice its size in the space of the argument. Infinite and Shadow looked at it and then each other.

"Put allegiances aside and deal with the tornado?" Shadow offered.

"Deal." Came the reply. Infinite swallowed his pride before saying his next line. "Alright…"team"…what's the plan?"

"Well…by the best that I can tell…these powers aren't normal energy. Any ideas, jackal?"

"I have a name, you two-tailed freak."

"Hey!"

"Never mind that. What are these powers?" Amy interjected while Charmy helped Tails cheer up.

"Sonic's Third Eye."

"…His what?" Everyone but Omega and Infinite gawked.

"Third Eye: the ability to see past, present and future simultaneously." Omega explained. Infinite nodded.

"Correct, robot. Once activated, he gets powers directly from Null Space itself in the shape of kurokinesis."

"Never heard of it." Silver grumbled.

"Guys, can we hurry this up? We're running out of time here!" Fuchsia screamed.

"OK, I've mapped out a plan, so you all better listen. I want Shadow and Infinite to enter the tornado from the top. The rest of us will distract Sonic's attention. With luck, he might calm down if he sees us. Once you two get into the tornado, calm Sonic down and, if needs be, fight him but do NOT hurt him too badly." Tails explained.

"You really think I would?"

"I wasn't referring to you." The entire group glared at Infinite.

"Why would I kill him? He's no use to the Doctor dead, you know."

"God, your ego's huge."

"Yours is bigger."

"Can you stop arguing? We have a tornado to destroy!" Blaze urged. Sighing, both Shadow and Infinite began making their way to the tornado. After buildings ran out, Infinite groaned as he used his Phantom Ruby to help Shadow fly.

"I have to admit, that gemstone of yours comes in handy." Shadow begrudgingly complimented.

"It has a name: the Phantom Ruby. Oh, or did you already know that? I'm actually surprised you haven't recognized me yet."

"Recognized you? I know your form is familiar but I'm lost as to where."

"3 months ago? Mystic Jungle? You punched my face in?"

"Wait, YOU'RE the jackal leader of that mercenary group?"

"Oh, so you DO remember."

Shadow was stunned. Memories flooded back. If he took away the mask, he could imagine Infinite's face: white muzzle, one blue eye, one amber eye and a malicious smirk. He didn't get time to ask as they entered the tornado. By sticking to the centre, they didn't get mixed in with the sharp wind. Landing, they noticed a black light in the centre of the chaos: a dark hedgehog with moon markings on his palms. His eyes shone amber: ears and muzzle tufted and he had claws and fangs. His eyes swivelled to see Shadow but no recognition filtered into them. He then saw Infinite, angering him.

" **You don't give up, do you, you fool!?"** Shadow almost got taken aback. What happened to the broken English? His cowardly persona? The child himself? This wasn't him. This was some other entity. **"I'll never give up what I know on my brethren's homeland!"**

"That is not why we're here." Shadow interrupted, stopping Infinite from lunging by grabbing his tail and pulling him back, despite the ranting he was getting. He silenced him with his signature death stare, which made him pull back and pout in a mood. "We need this to stop, Sonic."

"… **Stop?"**

Shadow recognised the child's meek voice. It had returned alongside his green eyes. The wind dropped slightly.

"Yes, this needs to stop. This isn't you, Sonic. You need to calm down." He tried approaching the hedgehog but, in a fit of panic, Sonic fired three black shots of lightning at Shadow at which he barely dodged.

" **S-Stay away…!"**

"I'm not going to hurt you, Sonic. You're not in any danger." But Sonic wasn't in a listening mood as he squealed and shot more bolts at his friend, as well as running away whenever Shadow tried to get close.

 _What's wrong with him? Why is he attacking me?_

The answer came to him.

 _First, Knuckles tries to kill him…then Rouge threatens him…he doesn't trust me anymore. He thinks everyone is bad._

"Listen to me, Sonic. I'm sorry for what Rouge said to you, OK? What she said was out of order and not true. I don't know what she said specifically, but whatever it was it's not true. You have to believe me." More shots, but many more than before. He noticed Sonic's eyes had gone back to the cold topaz. Shadow bit his lip. There were two distinct personalities here: green eyes indicated the Sonic he had already become familiar with, cowardice and all, while amber eyes demonstrated his new persona: merciless and full of rage, heart as black as the deepest and darkest of abysses. The "adult" Sonic, as it were.

" **You don't want to know what she said to me."** Came a snarl, but his mask dropped. He looked at the ground, tears starting to drip from his eyes that suddenly merged: one amber, one green. **"…You ever get that feeling? That everyone wants you dead?"**

Shadow felt horror grip his heart. He knew what Sonic was alluding to.

"You…y-you don't mean you wanted to…!?"

"… **I still don't know what I want. She told me the truth. The straight-up cold truth about how useless I am, what a burden I am…what a coward I am…she told me to leave or she'd kill me…I didn't want to stay there anymore…I was so scared, Shadow…s-so scared…"**

Shadow didn't know how to react. When Sonic broke down into tears, however, Shadow knew what he had to do. He gently approached him and brought him into a warm embrace, gently sending a small shushing noise into Sonic's bent ears. Infinite flinched at the sentimental scene. It sickened him. He had stayed back to bide his time. This child was a liability. Important as he was, he was too powerful to handle. Of course, he could let him wipe out the Resistance for him…but where was the fun in that? He could get rid of the entire Resistance right here and now. He had the perfect opportunity! As he silently began charging an attack, he fired the laser straight at the two hedgehogs. What he expected, of course, was the reflective barrier and the sudden rebound, but he kept the heat on the orb that Eggman had implanted in the boy's chest. Shadow had noticed the attack and snarled at Infinite.

"What are you doing!?"

"What I was tasked to do from my employment with the good Doctor. I'm getting rid of his enemies: namely the Resistance! What luck that they're all in one place!" He increased the power of the beam. It was clear it was taking a lot of power for Sonic to protect the two, evident by the fact he was struggling to stay upright and that the barrier was beginning to crack like breaking glass. He painfully looked at Shadow. Something new was in his eyes. A loving and caring look. He then jumped as he realized Sonic had leant in and had kissed him on the lips before kicking him aside, just as the barrier shattered. Shadow landed on his back, now blinded by the magenta light radiating from the beam that remained in his line of vision for several seconds. He found himself unable to speak for several seconds until one frenzied word came out of his mouth in a panicked scream, a scream that easily overpowered Infinite's triumphant and villainous laugh.

" _SONIC!"_


End file.
